Toyota Celica – Find My Brakes

The Toyota Celica is undoubtedly one of motoring history’s legends. During its production life of almost four decades, the Toyota Celica has seen seven major model updates. With such a storied history along with a plethora of motorsport involvements and achievements, the Toyota Celica has earned its place as one of motoring’s greats.

1970 – 1977 (A20 – A30 Series)

The Celica nameplate began in 1970 with the A20 series. Targeted towards the North American market and designed as Japan’s answer to the American pony car, the Celica’s styling borrowed heavily from the American muscle cars of the 60s. This is especially evident in the liftback model, which earnt its nickname “Mustang Celica” thanks to its rear end bearing a striking resemblance to the fastback Ford Mustang.

The Celica sports a massive amount of untapped poential thanks to its FR layout as well as its compact and lightweight body. This made it the perfect candidate for race use in its time, seeing competition use on both the track and the rally circuit.

Thanks to this, the first-gen Celica has earnt itself a massive cult following from both classic car nuts and modified car enthusiasts alike. It’s not uncommon to find mint condition examples of these early Celicas fetching a hefty price tag. It’s also no uncommon to find these Celicas scraping the ground, sporting massive wheel arch flares, painted in outrageous liveries.

Part Numbers

1.6 {76 kW} RWD Sedan [TA22] Rear Brake Shoe set – BS1358

2.0 {72 kW} RWD Sedan [RA23, RA28] Rear Brake Shoe set – BS1358

1977 – 1981 (A40 – A50 Series)

In the 1977, the Celica saw its first major model update. The A40 Celica was offered in both a 2-door coupe and a 3-door liftback. It also did away with the previous gen’s hardtop design, featuring a thick B pillar. However, it did retain its FR layout and while it did weigh more than its predecessor, the second-generation Celica still tipped the scales at around 1000kg, making it a worthy successor.

Like the Celica that came before it, the A40 and A50 series was a fixture in motorsport, seeing use on circuits and rally stages the world over. It even has a special place in Australian motorsport history, knocking out a Class C win at Bathurst in 1979.

If you’re looking for a set of brake pads to suit your A40 or A50 series Celica, Bendix stocks General CT brake pads that are a direct replacement.

Part Numbers

1.6 GT {81 kW} RWD Coupe [TA40] Front – DB170 4WD

2.0 {107kW} RWD Coupe [RA40] Front – DB170 4WD

2.0 {78 kW} RWD Coupe [RA46] Front – DB170 4WD

1981 – 1985 (A60 Series)

The third offering in the Celica timeline was dubbed the A60 series and featured more drastic updates from its predecessors. Gone were the chrome bumpers and “coke bottle” styling of the 70s and in its place, the wedge shapes and more angular designs that defined the 80s. The A60 series Celica was offered as a liftback, a notchback coupe and for the first time, the Celica was offered as a convertible from the factory.

Another first for the Celica was a new, turbocharged variant. Only offered in Japan, this new turbocharged variant featured a 1.6L powerplant that pushed out a hefty 119kW – an impressive figure for its time. The A60 series Celica also has the distinction of being the only Celica raced in the infamous Group B era of rally.

If you’re looking to service the brakes on your A60 Celica, Bendix stock direct replacement General CT brake pads to suit.

Part Numbers

2.0 {67 kW} RWD Coupe [RA60] Front – DB265 GCT

1985 – 1989 (T160 Series)

In 1985, the Celica underwent a major overhaul, venturing far from its predecessors. The T160 series was built on a completely different platform, which in turn changed its characteristics drastically. The Celica’s traditional FR layout was done away with, with the new Celica given an FF layout. The body styles on offer remained the same with the T160 being offered as a coupe, liftback and a convertible.

The T160 is an icon in the rally history books as its use in Group A rally was when Toyota really started to come into its own in the world of rallying. Toyota spec’d up the T160 for Group A rally use with an all-new AWD drivetrain and a turbocharged powerplant, which saw the Celica knock out its first WRC victory at the 1989 Rally Australia. It would go on to achieve 13 outright wins during its time in active competition.

Thanks to Group A rally rules at the time, Toyota had to build a road-going version of its rally car and from this, the Celica GT-Four was born. Featuring the same AWD system and turbocharged engine as its competition counterpart, the Celica GT-Four made for a formidable corner-carving weapon – essentially a rally car for the road.

Bendix stocks General GCT and Heavy Duty brakes pads for the whole T160 series Celica range, from the base ST to the range-topping GT-Four.

The T180 series Celica was born in 1989, doing away with the 80s wedge styling and replacing it the “soap bar” styling that’s become synonymous with Japanese cars of the 90s. Like the T160 Celica before it, the T180 was offered in FWD as well as AWD with the GT-Four. It was also offered in the same body styles as the T160 series Celica. The Australian market was offered the SX which was powered by a 2.2L powerplant with an output of 100kW. The ST185 Celica GT-Four was also the first GT-Four to reach Australian shores.

Toyota continued its success on the Group A rally circuit with the ST185 Celica GT-Four, knocking out a total of 15 WRC wins during its time in competition, making it Toyota’s most successful individual model used for rallying. On top of its turbocharged engine and AWD drivetrain, the ST185 GT-Four also features some styling cues that were not only functional, but also gave the rather pedestrian-looking base car a far more menacing appearance. Thanks to a larger front air dam, a vented bonnet and a wide body, the ST185 GT-Four was a genuinely intimidating sight in any rear-view mirror.

Bendix General CT and Heavy Duty brake pads are available for the SX, GT-Four as well as other overseas models. Bendix brake pads are a direct replacement, making your next brake service an absolute breeze.

1993 saw the introduction of T200 series Celica. The T200 series remained largely unchanged from its predecessor bar a styling update to give the new model a more distinctive face. Most notable is the lack of pop-up headlights, a feature that had become a fixture for the Celica since its third iteration. Like the Celicas before it, you could choose from a coupe, a liftback and a convertible. The T200 series Celica was offered in Australia in the SX and ZR trim levels which were both fitted with the same 2.2L naturally-aspirated powerplant as its predecessor. The ST205 Celica GT-Four was available in Australia for one year in 1994 in extremely limited numbers.

The ST205 GT-Four featured a number of improvements over the GT-Fours that came before it. This included weight-saving measures, an improved cooling system and an uprated turbocharger. The ST205 featured increased output from its predecessors, pushing out a healthy 178kW with Japan keeping a 187kW version for themselves. The ST205 GT-Four was also given more aggressive styling cues such as a vented aluminium bonnet, redesigned front bar for improved air flow and of course, a massive rear wing.

Despite all of its improvements, the ST205 GT-Four saw considerably less rally success than its predecessors. This is mainly due to a scandal that saw Toyota banned from WRC competition for a year thanks to trickery involving the ST205’s turbocharge that made the rally car more competitive. The ST205 would be the final Celica that Toyota would use in its WRC endeavours.

Bendix stocks General CT and Heavy Duty brake pads to suit the T200 series Celica range, from the SX to the GT-Four.

In 1999, the Celica not only saw another major model update, but also the final model update for the indefinite future. More modern, angular styling coupled with an updated engine range ushered the Celica into the new millennium. Breaking from Celica tradition, the T230 series was offered solely as a liftback FWD, with the GT-Four being retired with the T200 series.

Australia received both the SX and ZR trim levels which were fitted with the new 1.8L powerplant with a high output of 140kW. Coupled with a curb weight of about 1200kg, the T230 Celica was no slouch.

The T230 series Celica saw a production span of 7 years, finally being retired in 2006 along with the Celica namesake as a whole. A worthy finale to such a legendary model, one could definitely argue.

Bendix General CT and Heavy Duty brake pads are readily available for the T230 series Celica, making your life easier when it’s time for your next brake service.

The General CT is the Bendix’s brake pad for everyday driving. Designed to eliminate brake dust and noise, the General CT brake pads suit the commuter who needs quieter, cleaner and more consistent performance for everyday driving.

The new Bendix Heavy Duty pads are designed for every ute, van and pick-up on the road. Manufactured using a specifically developed compound, the Heavy Duty delivers real performance for all sorts of load carrying situations. Whether it’s the stop-start city driving, frequent towing or the hard grind of construction sites, the Heavy Duty will handle any situation that involves heavy loads.